It's half of the century since Stones played in Warsaw. The did two shows in Sala Kongresowa which is still here and many great artists have perfomred since than.
Anyway there are a lot of myths around Stones visit in Poland. It is one about carriage of polish vodka as a payment for the shows. Probably it isn't true but sounds great.
For young people in my country in late 60's Stones concert in Warsaw could be compare only to UFO landing. The reason why they played behind Iron Courtain is simply. It was after Redlands and tabloids were still writing about it. Show in Eastern Europe in Poland was meant to be an idea to give them some interesting subject instead Redland, drugs, etc.

There are some footage from polish TV and there is a great book with lots of photos from Warsaw 67. It's called "Rolling Stones Warszawa '67" by Marcin Jacobson. It's still avaible with deluxe format contains show advert/poster and great photos made by famous Marek Karewicz (he did Miles Davis shots as well during his visit in Warsaw in 80's).

video: [www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-13 11:31 by thrak.

Some photos





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-13 10:51 by thrak.

WOW !!

Just great, thanks for posting !

[ I want to shout, but I can hardly speak ]

Great post, thrak! Thank you.

Nice! Thanks a lot for the interesting post.

Quote
thrak

Mick: No i mean like, if i play, i mean really p r e t e n d to play the piano. Is what we are thinking of.

Other guy: you have a microphone over there.

One word: B R I A N!

Thanks for sharing!

Thank you, kindly!

Two months later I guess a trip to Warsaw wouldn't have been possible anymore.
So I guess the people of Poland were not aware yet of what an opportunity they had at
the time to witness a Brittish band.

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

From the article 'Through The Past Darkly - The Stones Tumultuous 1967 European Tour' - [RockonTour.net] :

"Departing France from Le Bourget Airport on April 12 was a harrowing experience for the band. [...] Landing in Warsaw later that day, the Rolling Stones made an historic visit behind the Iron Curtain, the only rock band to do so during the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. The Stones were driven to the dull, gray Orbis-Europjski Hotel. Everybody was in and out of everyone else's room checking out who got the better digs. There was no television, the radio stations were jammed with interference, and dinner cost the band a small fortune.

During the morning before their two scheduled concerts, band members noticed each of them had agents tailing their every move. When they tried to exit the hotel, the Stones were surrounded and told to remain inside. Band management failed to notify the hotel about their press conference and had to bribe the hotel to allow the media event to proceed.

Arriving at the venue, the Stones were greeted with rioting in the streets because Polish Communist Party members had reserved all of the tickets for both performances. Eastern Bloc fans were assaulted by the police. The shows were good, but anyone who stood up to express their enjoyment during the concert was reprimanded by the police to sit quietly. This demonstration of force angered the Stones.

After the concerts, the Stones canvassed Warsaw streets for Polish fans to distribute all of the albums and singles they had as an apology. Departing the next day, the Stones found, coincidentally, their bill at the hotel matched the amount of revenue from their concerts. Landing at Zurich Airport, the Stones were greeted by rioting fans, and the police simply waived them through customs."


From [TimeIsOnOurSide.com] :

April 11-13, 1967: The Rolling Stones perform in Paris, France, followed by their first ever concert in a Communist country, Poland, in Warsaw.

"Mick Jagger (1967) & Keith Richards: Warsaw

Mick: I wanted the kids in Poland to have the chance to listen to us. The kids get their records from western European countries, and they hear us on the radio. I'd love to go to Leningrad too.

Keith: Like in Poland, in Warsaw in ' 67. Nearest thing to that Long Beach riot (1965) I ever saw... We get there, behind the Iron Curtain, do the whole bit, all very uptight. There's army at the airport. Get to the hotel which is very jail-like. Lots of security people about, a lot like America. And it gets even more like America as it goes along. We're invited by the Minister of Culture, on a cultural visit, and we're playing in the Palace of Culture. We get there to do our gig. We go on. Honksi-de-boyski, boysk. Zee Rolling Stones-ki. And who's got the best seats in the house right down front? The songs and daughters of the hierarchy of the Communist Party. They're sitting there with their diamonds and their pearls... and their fingers in their ears.

About 3 numbers, and I say, F*ckin' stop playing, Charlie. You f*ckin' lot, get out and let those bastards in the back down front. So they went. About 4 rows just walked out. All the mamma and daddy's boys. Outside, they've got water cannons... All the cops had white helmets and the big long batons... There were 2000 kids that couldn't get in because of the sons and daughters. They wouldn't have had a riot there if they'd let the kids in. Only later I found out Poland is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. There can't be many bands that have played behind the Iron Curtain."

Any links to order this fine looking book ??

It's easy to buy in Poland on our ebay called allegro. I know Mick got one of these book and he really liked it. He even sent a wishes to a journalist who bought it to him few years ago.

Fantastic post - great photos and insight into just what a groundbreaking occasion it was. I love Poland (hence the Polish User Name even though I'm a Scot) and know Warsaw very well. I've been visiting since 1995 and was at the memorable BtB Chorzow show in 1998. I've met several people down the years who said they were at one of these shows .

Few pictures more. There's a lot talk about Stones in polish media today.

Damn, Brian was cool.

Quote
detroitken
Any links to order this fine looking book ??

You can buy it directly from the publisher, if I remember correctly I paid 40 € + shipping.
Very nice book
[www.wydawnictwoc2.pl]

Thank You Stone601,I have sent them an email & am waiting for reply....

In 4 days it'll be 50 years since their Athens show, which would have been Brian's last concert (not including 68 NME or RnR Circus).

Quote
detroitken
Thank You Stone601,I have sent them an email & am waiting for reply....

Bill already got his copy

Bill signed my copy in 2014 and he told me than that he got this book from his
polish friends.
I was wondering who were this people.

In the article above there is an excerpt from the interview with Mick Jagger on the show day. One bit is quite funny:

Quote

Journalist: Why don't you play live your best songs that are on the albums?
Jagger: We don't know the audience so we play only the biggest hits.

So, apparently already in 1967 there were setlist whiners and warhorse policy

i'm waiting for the response from the publisher....hopefully i will hear some good news...

Quote
grzegorz67
Fantastic post - great photos and insight into just what a groundbreaking occasion it was. I love Poland (hence the Polish User Name even though I'm a Scot) and know Warsaw very well. I've been visiting since 1995 and was at the memorable BtB Chorzow show in 1998. I've met several people down the years who said they were at one of these shows .

That's great, Gregorsz! What's the memory these people have on the shows? What was the atmosphere like? Do they have a particular account of the event? I'm very curious about that!

The day after Warsaw show The Rolling Stones landed in Zurich:

[www.youtube.com]

Wow! What a great thread and fantastic photos!

It is things like this which reminds us what a huge phenomenon The Stones have been and what an incredible history they have had (still continuing).

Some years ago I talked to one older Polish colleague of mine in one conference (I was wearing a Stones shirt, so the the topic of the Stones was picked up easily). He told me that that he wasn't in the concerts but rioting outside (he clearly wasn't any of those lucky privileged "sons and daughters" Keith mocked above ), and what a huge deal those concerts were for the young people there at the time. The symbolic significance of those concerts would last long underground.

I recall reading somewhere that there were some Soviet officials checking the concerts as well, and any hope for upcoming Soviet concerts were dropped.. (if memory serves, during the 70's the Stones tried to negotiate about possible concerts there).

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-04-14 13:03 by Doxa.

Quote
detroitken
i'm waiting for the response from the publisher....hopefully i will hear some good news...

Let us know

Quote
Doxa
Wow! What a great thread and fantastic photos!

It is things like this which reminds us what a huge phenomenon The Stones have been and what an incredible history they have had (still continuing).

Some years ago I talked to one older Polish colleague of mine in one conference (I was wearing a Stones shirt, so the the topic of the Stones was picked up easily). He told me that that he wasn't in the concerts but rioting outside (he clearly wasn't any of those lucky privileged "sons and daughters" Keith mocked above ), and what a huge deal those concerts were for the young people there at the time. The symbolic significance of those concerts would last long underground.

I recall reading somewhere that there were some Soviet officials checking the concerts as well, and any hope for upcoming Soviet concerts were dropped.. (if memory serves, during the 70's the Stones tried to negotiate about possible concerts there).

- Doxa

It seems to have been discussed in 1973.

NME, June 23, 1973



NME, September 8, 1973




"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"